Quantitative analysis of malignant brain tumor on MRI images

Abstract

Longitudinal relaxation time (T1)- weighted, Transverse relaxation time (T2)- weighted and flair Magetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) sequences are used for the study of high grade malignant brain tumors and their surrounding edemas. This study aimed to examine the characteristic of MRI on malignant brain tumor and to evaluate the benefits of Flair and T2 (Transverse relaxation time) -weighted over the T1(Longitudinal relaxation time) -weighted sequence. A total of 25 patients of malignant brain tumors were selected for analysis including 16 women aged 1 to 75 (mean age, 38.31 years) and 9 men aged 1 to 75 (mean age, 19.5 years). All patients had the T1- weighted, T2- weighted and Flair MRI sequences. A Region based segmentation of MATLAB software was performed on each type of tumor and 3D volume was calculated by spheroid volume tool of MATLAB. For all the patients tumor volume was calculated in cubic millimeter and compared with other sequences.The Flair and T2- weighted images volumes were significantly larger than the T1 – weighted image volume. There was also statistical difference of volume occurred in MRI sequences. T2- weighted and Flair MRI sequences showed 100% more volume than T1- weighted in the age group between 51 to 75 years. Similarly, both T2-weighted and Flair MRI sequence showed 61% volume more than T1-weighted in the age groups betrwen 26 to 75 years. Our findings suggest that the volume produced by these techniques are distinct and not interchangeable. Flair and T2-weighted images proved efficient for the measurement of abnormal tissues and CSF fluid in the brain. On the other hand T1-weighted images efficiently locate the tumor in fat and white matter of the brain.

Keywords

• MRI
• Computer analysis
• brain tumor